Let’s make this clear from the get-go: Malama Pono is not a cliché tourist cuisine Hawaiian restaurant, the sort of place you go to for dishes like loco moco, teriyaki chicken, chicken katsu, plate lunch — and if you’re livin’ large, Spam musubi, so you can tell the neighbors back in Dubuque about how they make sushi with Spam. And, of course, a luau. Which can all be pretty good chow.
Don’t get me wrong; I like kalua pork as much as the next guy in baggy shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. But this is not what Malama Pono is about.
Malama Pono — the name means “Take good care of yourself” in one translation, but also “to live with a conscious decision to do what is morally right in terms of self, others and the land…” — describes itself as “a seafood-inspired restaurant…featuring regional fusion cuisine with a Pacific influence…” Which is to say, the stuff a lot of us have been eating here in SoCal for a long time, dating back to great destinations like Roy’s and even, on one level, the old Trader Vic’s. We’re on the edge of the Pacific. The culinary influences are many. And they make eating here a lot of fun.
And so, at Malama Pono, which is a casual café on Ventura Boulevard, a distance from the sushi-heavy restaurant row of Studio City, you will find loco moco. But it’s not the mess on a plate that it is at most Hawaiian-themed eateries. In this case, it’s built around a very tasty, richly herbed and spiced house-made pork patty, topped with unexpectedly edible porcini mushroom gravy — and, of course, the inevitable fried egg.
There’s a “mix plate.” But it’s not the usual mishmash — the mix here is of mochiko chicken in a ponzu shoyu and tomato ginger sauce, with filet mignon, fish, Spam as good as it ever gets, and a “local-style” mac salad, made with cheese that’s worth eating. Even if it does mess up your cholesterol. Also, there are kalua pork lettuce wraps, made unique with pickled red cabbage and maple-scented Japanese mustard.
But then…what’s this? In the midst of this reimagined Hawaiiana, we find grilled shrimp and parmesan grits — a dish with roots more in the American South than the South Pacific. The house-made garlic naan caprese is a unique mix of Indian and Italian foods. The Chinese prawn salad is made with frisée and our own much-loved (for the moment), fiber-heavy green, baby kale. And the duck confit with green papaya slaw, cashews and Thai dressing owes its existence to Southeast Asia.
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And is there sushi? Well…of course there is! And, it comes with a twist. Crispy rice, which is usually topped with spicy tuna, in this case is a delivery system for fried Spam, flavored with sweet soy, nori aioli and togarashi — seven-flavor chili powder. Yellowfin tuna does appear on a second crispy rice dish, in this case with pickled shallots and ikura — red caviar. There’s a third crispy rice option as well, this saddled with Santa Barbara uni, along with truffle ponzu, truffle oil and black tobiko caviar. Seriously indulgent. And good too!
The menu is a tasty jumble of dishes, usually staying within sight of its Pacific roots, but wandering far afield when the flavors are good enough. As in the seafood risotto dumplings, which are mostly Italian, but even more Malama Pono. The steamed mussels, a wonderful dish, are almost French. But there’s mango and chili in the garlic butter, and it comes with house-made naan. Which is not how you eat your moules marinières in Marseilles. And how about the Maryland crabcakes? They wouldn’t raise an eyebrow in Baltimore, not a one.
Bottomline: This is a happy restaurant, with a menu filled with tasty temptations for those of us of pescatarian leanings.
And for those who want to stick closer to the taste of Kona, there are two beers served from Kona Brewing — Longboard Island Lager and Big Wave Golden Ale. From Maui Brewing, there’s Big Swell IPA, Pineapple Mana Wheat and Coconut Hiwa Porter. There are also cocktails made with both wine, and with Japanese shochu, with names like Guava Girl, The Weekend and, inevitably, Hawaiian Punch. There’s no pineapple wine. Let us give thanks.
Merrill Shindler is a Los Angeles-based freelance dining critic. Email mreats@aol.com.
Malama Pono
Rating: 3 stars
Address: 13355 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks
Information: 747-264-1995, www.malamaponorestaurant.com
Cuisine: Modern Pacific Fusion
When: Dinner, Tuesday through Saturday
Details: Beer and wine; reservations important
Atmosphere: A trip to Maui, right on Ventura Boulevard, with side trips to Japan, China, Italy, India and right here in the US of A.
Prices: About $35 per person
Suggested dishes: 12 Smaller Plates ($6-$18), 4 Salads ($15-$18), 13 Seafood Entrees ($15-$34), 7 Meat Entrees ($15-$28), 10 Happy Hour Bites ($5-$12)
Credit cards: MC, V
What the stars mean: 4 (World class! Worth a trip from anywhere!), 3 (Most excellent, even exceptional. Worth a trip from anywhere in Southern California.), 2 (A good place to go for a meal. Worth a trip from anywhere in the neighborhood.) 1 (If you’re hungry, and it’s nearby, but don’t get stuck in traffic going.) 0 (Honestly, not worth writing about.)